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>ii. 


How  TO  Ride. 


BY 


Thomas  Clark. 


Copyright,  1891,  by  Thomas  Clark. 


All  risrhts  reserved. 


PISER  d-  RUSSELL, 

PUBLISHERS, 

2  12  East  I2^th  Street, 

NEW  YORK. 


PREFACE. 


It  is  not  my  intention  in  these  few  pages  to  try  and 
convince  the  pubHc  that  merely  by  reading  some  books 
on  horsemanship,  they  can  become  expert  horsemen  or 
horsewomen  ;  far  from  it,  but  what  I  do  say,  is  this,  that 
if  any  one  cares  to  read  this  Httle  vokime,  and  will  remem- 
ber the  advice  given  in  it,  I  feel  sure  that  it  will  greatly 
aid  them  in  the  knowledge  of  riding. 

I  have  given  instructions  for  many  years  in  Europe 
and  America.  As  a  child,  I  had  more  opportunity  to  in- 
dulge my  taste,  or,  I  may  say,  passion,  for  horses  and 
horseback  riding,  than  a  great  many  others  had.  My 
father  owned  from  sixty-five  to  ninety  horses  all  the  time, 
some  of  which  were  celebrated  race  horses,  and  one 
which  he  owned  was  fortunate  enough  to  win  the  Grand 
National  Race,  which  takes  a  horse  out  of  the  common 
to  do.  As  we  lived  within  a  short  distance  of  one  of  the 
best  packs  of  hounds  in  England,  my  father  always  kept 
a  standing  number  of  hunters,  so  that  his  friends  could 
follow  the  chase.  A  few  of  the  best  race  horses  my  father 
owned,  I  will  name  here  :  Little  Tom,  Silvertail,  Joe  Mug- 
gins, Fireaway,  Cherry  Key,  Mushroom,  Slyboots,  Ochil- 
tree,  Exeter,    Highflyer,    Merry  Maid,  Pipestalks,    Banner 


Bearer,  and  many  others,  but  as  I  was  very  young  at  that 

time,  it  would  be  too  hard  a  task  for  me  to  remember  the 

names   of  all   the  horses  my  father  ever  owned,  neither 

would  it  interest  the  reader. 

Now,   horseback  riding,   like  some  other  pleasures, 

can  be  indulged   in   at  any   age,   as  long  as  a  man   or 

woman  do  not  overtask  their  strength  at  the  beginning, 

and  I  really  believe  that  riding  has  done  more  to  prolong 

life  than  any  other  sport,  in  fact,  I  know  that  it  has,  and 

all  the  best  physicians  recommend  it  very  highly  in  many 

cases. 

The  Author. 


CONTENTS. 


LEARNING  TO  MOUNT,         .....  i 

LEARNING  TO  DISMOUNT,         -  .  .9 

ABOUT  THE  BRIDLE— explaining  the  use  of  the  Snaffle 

AND  Curb,            .            .            .            .            .            .  12 

THE  WALK,             .             .             .             .             .             .         .  17 

THE  TROT.                      .             .             .             .             ...  21 

THE  CANTER.             .             .             .             .             ,  27 

RING  RIDING,         .             .             .             .             •             •         •  29 

ROAD  RIDING             ......  3^ 

HANDS  AND  SEAT, 43 

LEAPING--TRAINING,             .....  46 

ADVICE  TO  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN  WHO  INTEND 

BUYING  A  SADDLE-HORSE,             ...  50 

SUGGESTIONS— HOW  to  start  and  how  to  run  a  public 

RIDING    SCHOOL,                  .                  .                  •                  .                  •            •  $2 

WHAT  HORSE-BACK  RIDING  HAS  DONE   FOR   MANY 

AND  WHAT  IT  WILL  DO  FOR  YOU,         •         •         •  55 

SOME  USEFUL  TIPS, 5^ 


HOW  TO  RIDE. 

BY  THOMAS  CLARK. 


LEARNING  TO  MOUNT. 

After  the  pupil  has  taken  a  few  lessons  and  been 
made  acquainted  with  the  fitting  of  the  bridle  and  saddle, 
the  next  thing  to  do  is  to  learn  to  mount  his  horse  from 
the  ground,  as  I  strongly  condemn  mounting  blocks,  and 
as  you  cannot  take  them  along  with  you,  or  find  them  on 
every  roadside,  it  will  be  the  best  plan  to  learn  to  mount 
your  horse  from  the  ground. 

When  a  man  mounts  his  horse,  he  should  take  all  the 
reins  in  the  left  hand,  that  is  the  right  snaffle  rein  between 
the  first  and  second  fingers,  the  left  snaffle  rein  held  in  the 
palm  of  the  hand,  three  fingers  dividing  the  reins,  the 
curb  reins  should  be  held  next  each  other,  near  the  centre 
of  the  hand,  between  the  second  and  third  fingers,  then 
place  your  reins  neatly  together,  between  finger  and 
thumb,  and  let  the  end  of  the  reins  fall  over  towards  the 
right  side,  the  next  thing  to  do,  is  to  grasp  a  lock  of  the 
horse's  mane  with  the  left  hand,  about  twelve  inches  from 
the  saddle,    now   stand   with   your  chest  facing  the   left 


FIRST   POSITION   TO   MOUNT. 


SECOND   POSITION   TO    MOUNT. 


4  LEARNING  TO  MOUNT. 

shoulder  of  your  horse,  the  right  foot  opposite  the  stirrup, 
then  take  hold  of  the  stirrup  leather,  just  above  the  stir- 
rup with  the  right  hand,  place  the  left  foot  in  the  stirrup 
as  far  as  the  ball  of  the  foot,  now  take  your  right  hand 
away  from  the  leather,  and  take  hold  of  the  cantle  of  the 
saddle,  spring  up  from  the  right  foot,  straighten  both 
knees  and  keep  the  heels  together,  press  the  left  knee  well 
against  the  saddle  before  passing  the  right  leg  over.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  keep  the  left  foot  back  when  mounting, 
so  as  not  to  touch  the  horse  with  the  toe. 

The  pupil  must  sit  well  in  the  middle  of  the  saddle, 
with  the  body  upright,  shoulders  thrown  back  and  chest 
expanded  and  the  head  raised,  the  elbows  close  to  the 
sides,  the  hands  from  four  to  six  inches  apart,  the  knuck- 
les turned  out  and  the  thumbs  on  the  top,  hands,  knees 
and  heels  kept  down,  and  the  toes  parallel  with  the  horse's 
sides.  After  getting  seated  correctly,  take  the  stirrups  by 
turning  the  stirrups  outwards,  away  from  the  horse's  sides, 
the  left  stirrup  to  the  left  and  the  right  to  the  right,  the 
rider  w^ill  then  have  the  leather  flat  and  smooth,  without 
any  twist  in  it. 

The  other  method  of  mounting  is  to  take  all  the  reins 
in  the  right  hand,  the  snaffle  reins  on  the  outside  and  the 
curb  reins  on  the  inside,  that  is,  a  rein  for  every  finger, 
the  rider  must  stand  facing  the  saddle,  then  turn  half  left 
and  place  the  right  hand  on  the  pommel  of  the  saddle, 
carry  the  left  hand  nine  inches  in  advance  of  the  right, 
taking  a  firm  hold  of  the  mane,  place  the  left  foot  in  the 


CONTINENTAL    WAY    TO    MOUNT. 


MOUNTING     INCORRECTLY. 


LEARNING  TO  MOUNT.  7 

stirrup,  spring  up  lightly  in  the  saddle,  and  after  you  are 
seated  firmly,  change  the  reins  from  the  right  hand  to  the 
left 

Naturally,  the  ways  I  have  described,  are  very  hard 
for  a  beginner  at  first,  but  they  should  be  practiced  a 
great  deal  after  riding  a  few  times.  Of  course  at  first  the 
teacher  should  allow  you  a  little  more  length  and  reach, 
especially  if  one  is  very  stout,  or  at  all  stiff,  which  begin- 
ners generally  are  at  first,  but  plenty  of  practice  will 
knock  all  the  stiffness  out  of  a  man,  if  he  keeps  right  al  it, 
as  he  should  do.  The  first  method  1  described  to  you, 
with  regard  to  mounting,  is  called  the  English  way,  and 
so  it  is,  if  done  correctly,  but  most  horsemen  stand  in 
front  of  the  horse's  shoulder,  instead  of  nearly  back  of  it, 
and  as  the  man's  arm  is  not  long  enough  to  reach  the 
saddle,  consequently  he  has  to  hop  on  the  right  foot,  near 
enough  to  the  horse  to  reach  his  saddle,  it  is  not  only  an 
extra  exertion  on  his  part,  but  it  annoys  the  horse  and 
causes  him  to  become  restless  and  unsteady  while  mount- 
ing. The  second  way  of  mounting  a  horse  is  called  the 
military  or  French  way,  and  is  taught  a  great  deal  in  the 
United  States,  and  for  some  reasons  I  prefer  it  to  the  other 
way,  but  one  must  be  careful  not  to  stand  too  far  back, 
for  fear  that  the  horse  might  at  some  time  strike  the  rider 
in  the  back  from  behind.  Some  horses  are  very  restless 
to  mount,  and  commence  pawing  with  their  front  legs 
with  impatience  to  be  off,  and  sometimes  from  nervous- 
ness or  fright,  and  that  is  one  more  good  reason  why  the 


8  LEARNING  TO  MOUNT. 

rider,  when  mounting  the  English  way,  should  stand  back 
of  the  horse's  shoulder,  instead  of  nearly  in  front  of  it  as  a 
great  many  do. 


LEARNING  TO  DISMOUNT. 

So  far  as  you  have  been  told  how  to  mount,  now  I 
shall  explain  to  you  how  to  dismount.  There  are  two 
different  ways.  The  first  way  is  to  keep  all  the  reins  in 
the  left  hand  and  grasp  the  mane,  place  the  right  hand  on 
the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  take  the  right  foot  out  of  the 
stirrup  and  then  cross  the  leg  over  the  back  of  the  horse, 
and  at  the  same  time  bringing  the  right  hand  well  in  the 
rear  of  the  saddle,  now  bring  the  right  foot  to  the  ground 
before  taking  the  left  foot  out  of  the  stirrup.  The  other 
method  to  dismount,  is  to  change  the  reins  from  the  left 
to  the  right  hand,  resting  the  right  hand  on  the  pommel, 
grasp  the  mane  with  the  left  hand,  passing  the  right  leg 
over  to  the  left  side,  then  throw  the  left  shoulder  back, 
step  down  to  the  ground  with  the  right  foot,  discard  the 
left  foot  from  the  stirrup,  advance  one  yard  to  the  front, 
and  then  stand  to  your  horse,  holding  the  snaffle  rein 
only.  There  are  three  ways  to  adjust  your  stirrups,  the 
first  way  is  to  measure  your  stirrup  by  the  length  of  the 
arm,  that  is,  place  the  stirrup  under  the  elixir  of  your  left 
arm,  then  extend  your  arm  to  its  full  length,  allowing  the 
tip  of  the  second  finger  to  touch  the  centre  of  buckle  of 
the  stirrup  leather.  The  next  test  is  to  get  mounted  on 
your  horse  and  press  your  feet  well  down,  sitting  well  in 
the  middle  of  the  saddle,  raise  the  toes  and  then  measure 
the   stirrup  with  each  ankle,    the  steel  should  just  touch 


lo  LEARNING  TO  DISMOUNT. 

each  ankle.  The  third  way  is  to  place  your  feet  in  both 
stirrups,  keeping  them  under  the  ball  of  each  foot,  and 
take  care  to  sit  well  in  the  centre  of  the  saddle,  now 
stand  straight  up  in  your  stirrups,  resting  the  back  of  the 
right  hand  on  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  if  you  can  clear 
the  pommel  with  the  right  hand  resting  on  it,  you  have 
the  stirrups  the  correct  length.  The  second  and  third 
ways  are  the  best  to  follow  ;  the  first  way  will  do  in  some 
cases,  but  not  in  all,  you  will  understand  that  a  great 
many  men  have  long  backs  and  short  legs,  while  others 
have  the  reverse  ;  then  again,  one's  arm  may  not  be  as 
long  as  one's  leg,  and  on  some  horses  you  will  require 
different  lengths  of  stirrups.  A  lady  should  learn  to  mount 
her  horse  from  the  ground,  and  insist  on  being  taught 
that  way,  and  also  learn  to  dismount  without  any  assist- 
ance whatever. 

To  mount  correctly,  the  lady  should  take  hold  of  the 
four  reins  in  the  right  hand,  place  the  hand  on  the  up 
pommel  then  place  the  left  foot  in  the  hand  of  the  assist- 
ant, resting  your  left  hand  on  his  shoulder  ;  at  the  word 
three,  straighten  the  left  knee,  at  the  same  time  spring  up 
with  the  right  foot  on  to  the  saddle,  cross  your  right  knee 
over  the  upper  pommel,  place  the  foot  in  the  stirrup,  then 
change  the  reins  from  the  right  hand  to  the  left.  The  way 
to  dismount,  is  to  hold  the  reins  in  the  left  hand,  take  the 
foot  out  of  the  stirrup,  ])ass  the  right  leg  over  the  pom- 
mel, with  the  assistance  of  the  right  hand  placed  under 
the  right  knee,  to  prevent  the  skirt  from  getting  caught  on 


LKARNINCi  TO  DISMOUNT.  ii 

the  j-x^mmcls,  then  change  the  reins  from  one  hand  to  the 
other,  now  turn  your  body  round  facing-  the  horse,  hold- 
ing the  right  shoulder  well  back,  hold  the  skirt  up  to  your 
waist  with  the  left  hand,  then  slide  gracefully  down,  but 
do  not  attempt  to  jump  off.  When  dismounting  you 
should  have  the  right  snaffle  rein  drawn  up  a  little  shorter 
than  the  left  one.  A  good  horsewoman  should  be  able  to 
dismount  at  a  walk,  at  a  trot,  and  when  going  at  a  slow 
canter,  and  by  practice  and  by  following  out  proper  in- 
structions, it  can  be  accomplished  without  any  danger  to 
the  rider. 


ABOUT    THE  BRIDLE  — EXPLAINING  THE  USE  OF 
THE  SNAFFLE  AND  CURB. 

Before  proceeding  any  further  with  my  book,  I 
should  like  to  call  the  reader's  attention  to  the  bridle  and 
saddle  which  one  has  to  use  on  the  horse,  and  explain  to 
you  the  use  of  each  bit  separately  ;  speaking-  about  the 
snaffle  first,  and  then   saying  a  few  words  with  regard  to 


i^ichtsnafple 


the  curb  bit  and  curb  chain.  Now  it  is  necessary  when 
riding  a  horse,  to  have  a  well  fitted  riding  bridle  on  him. 
Properly  speaking,  the  bridle  should  have  a  light  caves- 
son  or  noseband,  and  that  means  three  headstalls,  but 
never  less  than  two,  if  you  have  only  two,  the  best  plan 


ABOUT  THE  liRlDLE.  13 

is  to   run   the   noseband  through  the  curb  headstall,  with 
the  snaffle  headstall  passing-  on  the  outside. 

The  snaffle  I  will  call  the  acting  bit.  The  curb  bit,  1 
think  it  will  be  well  to  term  the  lever  or  balance  bit.  I 
will  now  speak  about  each  bit  separately.  The  snaffle 
is  the  upper  bit,  with  a  round  ring  on  each  side,  and  when 
rightly  placed  in  the  horse's  mouth,  should  fit  easy  with- 
out gagging,  and  it  comes  much  more  in  use  for  a  begin- 
ner than  the   curb  does.     If  you  wish  the  horse  to  walk 


out  freely,  use  the  snaffle,  use  the  snaffle  to  trot  a  horse, 
and  use  the  snaffle  when  you  jump  a  horse  as  well  as  the 
curb,  and  above  all,  in  the  latter  case,  use  your  best 
judgment.  Now  I  come  to  the  curb  bit.  The  bit,  when 
properly  placed  in  the  horse's  mouth,  should  be  one  inch 
above  the  lower  tusk,  and  in  a  mare's,  two  inches  above 
the  mark.  Sometimes  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  the 
bit    or    mouthpiece    a    trifle  higher    or  lower,  as  the  con- 


14  ABOUT  THE  BRIDLE. 

formation  of  some  horse's  mouths  differ  a  great  deal.  I 
have  simply  written  down  the  general  rule  to  go  by, 
which  will  answer  in  most  cases,  but  not  in  all.  The 
lower  the  bit  is  placed,  the  more  severe  it  is.  Great  care 
must  be  taken  that  the  width  of  the  mouth  piece  is  neith- 
er too  wide  nor  too  narrow  for  the  horse's  mouth,  or  it 
will  injure  the  horse,  and  bad  results  will  come  from  it. 
Sometimes  the  bit  is  placed  very  high  in  the  horse's  mouth, 
so  it  will  be  as  well  to  look  at  your  bridle  and  saddle 
before  mounting,  and  see  that  every  thing  is  in  perfect 
order. 


The  correct  place  for  the  curb  chain  is  in  the  chin 
groove,  and  when  properly  adjusted  one  should  always  be 
able  to  place  the  first  and  second  fingers  under  it.  The 
chain  should  lie  smoothly,  without  any  twist  in  it,  and 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  place  the  chain. too  high,  that 
is  on  the  cheek  bones,  for  it  will  not  only  annoy  the  horse, 
but  will  make  him  thrust  out  his  nose,  instead  of  bringing 


ABOUT  THE  BRIDLE.  15 

it  in,  as  he  should  do.  On  some  bits,  the  length  of  the 
curb  chain  should  not  be  more  than  nine  inches.  No  curb 
should  be  placed  on  any  horse  that  has  not  been  broken 
to  answer  and  bend  to  the  pressure  of  it,  as  oftentimes 
more  harm  than  good  will  come  from  it,  very  probably 
some  accident.  The  throat  lash  should  be  loose  enough 
to  admit  the  hand  through,  the  breastplate  should  fit  easily, 
so  that  one  can  pass  the  hand  between  the  breast  and 
leather.  The  girths  of  a  lady's  saddle,  when  properly 
strapped  up,  should  admit  three  fingers,  and  that  of  a 
man's  saddle  four. 

The  reader  may  like  to  know  how  to  distinguish 
the  snaffle  reins  from  the  curb  reins  ;  you  have  been  told 
how  to  distinguish  one  bit  from  the  other,  and  now  I  will 
explain  to  you  how  to  know  one  rein  from  the  other. 
The  snaffle  rein  is  the  upper  rein,  and  has  a  buckle  in  the 
centre,  and  is  held  outside.  On  some  bridles  the  snaffle 
rein  is  wider.  The  reason  for  having  a  buckle  on  the  rein, 
is  to  be  able  to  part  the  reins  quickly  when  you  desire  to 
use  a  ring  martingale.  The  curb  rein  is  the  lower  rein, 
and  is  sewn  at  the  centre.  It  is  held  inside,  that  means 
nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  hand,  between  the  second  and 
third  fingers  of  the  left  hand. 

Having  mentioned  a  martingale  in  this  chapter,  I 
might  as  well  speak  a  few  words  with  regard  to  them. 
The  only  martingale  that  should  be  used  on  a  saddle 
horse  is  a  ring  martingale,  and  then  let  it  be  a  running 
one,  as  all   other  martingales  are  useless  and  dangerous. 


1 6  ABOUT  THE  BRIDLE. 

Horses  that  are  properly  trained  and  ridden,  should  require 
no  martingale,  and  the  less  trappings  a  horse  has  on  the 
better  he  looks. 


THE  WALK. 

To  make  a  horse  walk  forward,  you  should  ease  on 
both  reins  and  close  both  legs  equally.  If  a  lady  is  riding- 
she  should  press  her  left  leg  behind  the  girth  and  use  the 
whip  on  the  right  side.  The  whip  or  crop  to  a  lady  acts 
in  the  place  of  the  right  leg,  and  a  horsewoman  should 
never  ride  without  one.  The  front  legs  of  the  horse  are 
the  bearers  or  supports,  the  hind  ones  the  propellers,  and 
are  more  or  less  relied  on  in  the  canter,  and  especially  in 
jumping.  Now,  the  rider's  hands  are  for  the  forehand  of 
the  horse  ;  all  that  part  in  front  of  the  saddle,  and  the 
legs,  are  to  control  the  haunches,  all  that  part  back  of  the 
saddle.  The  hands  and  reins  are  intended  to  guide  and 
steady  the  horse,  and  to  stop  him  when  required,  and  the 
legs  are  used  to  make  the  horse  go  forward,  they  help  to 
balance  and  support  him,  and  riders  should  never  use  one 
without  the  other.  A  carriage  horse  guides  from  the  bit 
alone.  A  saddle  horse  should  be  guided,  partly  from  the 
neck,  which  is  termed  bridlewise,  as  well  as  from  the  bit, 
and  by  the  aid  of  either  leg.  When  riding  in  company, 
never  chirp  or  click  to  your  horse,  as  it  is  a  very  rude 
habit,  as  you  may  unsettle  your  friend's  horse,  if  it  is  at 
all  a  lively  animal.  Instead  of  chirping  to  your  mount, 
touch  him  with  a  pressure  of  the  leg,  and  make  him  ex- 


READY   TO   MOUNT, 


THE  WALK.  19 

tend  his  walk.  I  do  not  know  of  anything  so  annoying- 
as  to  see  a  horse  creeping  along,  as  if  the  poor  animal 
had  corns  and  could  not  travel  any  faster,  because  the 
horse's  gait  should  be  always  active  and  decided.  Now 
often  it  is  the  fault  of  the  rider,  and  not  the  horse  at  all. 
If  you  will  give  the  horse  his  head,  and  make  use  of  the 
leg  and  whip,  he  will  do  his  best  to  walk  out  in  the  right 
manner.  You  should  be  careful  when  riding  to  keep  your 
left  hand  firmly  closed,  in  fact,  make  a  fist  of  it,  and 
wear  a  loose-fitting  glove,  an  extra  size  will  be  all  the 
better,  and  it  will  be  well  to  dispense  with  rings  when 
riding.  I  remember  an  instance  of  a  boy  riding  on  a  pony 
down  a  steep  hill  at  a  walk  on  the  hard  road,  and  when 
about  half  way  down,  the  pony  stumbled,  fell,  and  broke 
his  knees  ;  if  the  lad  had  had  his  hands  firmly  closed,  the 
reins  would  not  have  slipped  through  his  fingers,  but  in 
all  probability  he  could  have  pulled  up  the  pony  before 
harm  was  done,  but  that  is  not  all,  for  if  you  do  not  hold 
the  reins  firmly,  you  will  keep  getting  a  longer  rein  than 
you  require,  and  if  the  hand  is  not  closed  it  will  necessi- 
tate your  shortening  them  very  frequently. 


GROOM    HOLDING    HORSE. 


THE  TROT. 

There  are  a  great  many  riders  in  the  United  States 
who  have  never  been  able  to  ride  a  trotting  horse,  and 
could  not  if  they  would,  and  they  have  seldom  wished  to 
try,  as  they  have  found  it  too  much  labor.  In  the  western 
countries,  and  in  the  south,  a  great  many  ride  on  horses 
at  the  single  foot,  pace,  lope  or  canter,  and  on  some  horses 
the  various  gaits  are  easy  and  pleasant,  but  there  is  no 
gait  so  enjoyable  to  ride  as  the  trot,  when  any  one  knows 
how,  and  being  harder  to  learn  than  any  other,  it  is  more 
enjoyable  when  mastered.  It  is  one  rule  by  which  a 
teacher  can  tell  a  good  rider  from  a  bad  one,  but  I  do  not 
wish  my  readers  to  misunderstand  me,  and  think  that  if 
they  are  able  to  sit  on  their  saddle  correctly,  and  rise 
gracefully  in  the  trot,  and  just  catch  the  stride  of  the 
horse  and  rise  in  good  time,  that  they  are  accomplished 
horsemen  or  horsewomen,  for  I  must  ask  you  not  to 
think  any  such  thing  ;  to  make  a  good  rider,  one  has  to 
know  and  understand  many  more  things,  as  well  as  to  be 
able  to  sit  well  on  a  trotting  horse. 

I  shall  first  explain  to  you  how  to  make  a  horse  trot. 
You  should  ease  on  both  reins  and  close  both  legs,  accord- 
ing to  the  horse's  temper,  and  when  a  lady  is  riding,  she 
should  touch  her   horse  with  the  whip   behind  the  saddle 


22  THE  TROT. 

and  close  the  left  heel,  then  when  the  horse  is  trotting,  the 
rider  should  feel  the  reins  to  raise  the  horses  forehand  and 
to  keep  his  haunches  under  him. 

It  is  very  likely  that  some  of  my  readers  may  not 
understand  the  advice  given  above,  so  I  will  explain  to 
you  clearly  what  I  do  mean.  Now  every  horse  has  a 
different  gait,  mouth  and  temper  ;  some  horses  are  pull- 
ers, while  others  you  must  ride  light  in  hand,  then  again, 
you  will  find  horses  that  are  free  and  ambitious,  while 
others  are  lazy  and  require  urging.  When  I  say  ease  on 
the  reins,  1  mean  for  you  to  give  the  horse  a  loose  rein, 
and  not  to  prevent  him  from  going  in  any  way,  and  when 
1  say  feel  the  reins,  I  mean  that  you  are  to  hold  him  in  to 
some  extent  and  not  allow  him  to  go  at  whatever  gait  or 
rate  of  speed  which  he  prefers.  You  must  make  up  your 
mind  to  let  your  horse  know  that  you,  and  you  alone,  are 
master  or  mistress  of  your  mount.  If  you  are  firm  at  the 
start,  you  will  be  able  to  do  anything  with  him,  and  when 
you  once  get  full  control  over  your  horse,  it  will  help  you 
a  great  deal  before  you  get  through  with  horseback 
riding. 

The  first  thing  to  do  when  mounted,  is  to  try  and  get 
a  correct  position  on  the  saddle.  Some  ladies,  after  they 
have  been  riding  for  some  time,  have  a  tendency  to  ride 
onesided,  or  ride  with  a  churning  movement ;  raise  their 
hands,  hold  the'ir  heads  down  and  swing  their  legs  about 
like  the  branch  of  a  tree  when  the  wind  blows  hard,  or 
like  the  pendulum  of  a  clock,  foot  well  home  in  the  stirrup, 


POSITION    IN   SADDLE. 


24  THE  TROT. 

toes  down  and  turned  outward  very  much,  with  plenty  of 
space  between  the  knee  and  saddle,  at  the  same  time  not 
forgetting  to  pull  with  sudden  jerks  on  the  reins.  Such 
riders  even  declare  afterwards  that  "  it  was  just  too  lov^ely 
for  anything." 

Now  all  the  above  faults  can  be  prevented  if  the  pupil 
has  a  good  teacher  and  will  take  pains  to  learn  how  to 
ride.  When  trotting  the  rider  must  not  depend  on  the 
stirrup  alone,  but  must  rise  from  the  right  knee,  the  right 
toe  kept  down  close  to  the  horse,  keep  the  left  heel  down, 
with  the  stirrup  on  the  ball  of  the  foot,  care  must  be  taken 
that  the  left  foot  is  not  draw^n  back  or  thrust  forward,  but 
held  straight  down,  the  toe  nearly  in  line  with  the  left 
knee.  If  the  foot  is  drawn  back,  the  rider  will  be  thrown 
forward,  and  if  it  is  thrust  forward,  the  pupil  will  rise  in  a 
stiff  and  unnatural  way.  It  should  always  be  remembered 
that  the  limbs  support  the  upper  part  of  the  body.  The 
rise  and  fall  in  the  saddle  should  be  straight,  easy  and 
graceful,  without  bending  the  body  forward,  and  in  per- 
fect time  with  your  horse  ;  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  entirely 
wrong  to  attempt  to  rise  when  the  horse  is  walking,  jog 
trotting  or  cantering,  and  the  rider  must  keep  a  close  seat 
until  the  horse  trots  fast  enough  to  assist  the  pupil  to  rise. 
If  pupils  try  and  attempt  to  rise  before  the  horse  attains 
the  rate  of  speed  that  is  required,  it  gives  any  one  an  im- 
pression that  the  rider  desires  to  lift  his  or  her  horse  up 
from  the  ground,  which  is  not  only  wrong,  but  very  fool- 
ish.     A   lady  when  riding,  must  try  at  first  to  get  a  good 


THE  TROT.  25 

seat,  that  is,  sit  down  well  in  the  centre  of  the  saddle,  sit- 
ting square  to  the  front,  with  the  buttons  of  your  waist  in 
a  line  with  the  horse's  mane,  and  the  shoulders  in  line 
with  the  horse's  ears,  with  the  shoulders  thrown  well  back 
and  elbows  carried  close  to  the  sides  and  the  head  held 
up,  looking  well  in  front  of  you  for  twenty  yards  or  so. 
Now  when  wishing  to  bring  a  horse  down  from  a  trot  to 
a  walk,  do  not  keep  rising,  but  after  slowing  your  horse 
down  to  a  slow  trot,  take  a  close  seat,  for  if  you  keep 
rising  and  the  horse  should  stop  very  suddenly,  it  is  more 
than  likely  that  you  might  be  thrown  off. 


MOUNTED. 


THE  CANTER. 

It  is  a  hard  task  for  a  great  many  riders  to  make  a 
horse  canter  correctly,  and  still  more  difficult  for  others  to 
canter  at  all.  Even  some  men  ride,  hit  or  miss,  all  their 
lives,  without  knowing  right  from  wrong,  and  care  less, 
as  long  as  the  steed  they  bestride,  carries  them  along  at  a 
rapid  gait.  The  great  trouble  is  that  some  riders  do  not 
know  how  to  place  a  horse  for  the  canter,  and  very  sel- 
dom what  aids  to  use.  When  a  horse  canters  properly, 
the  weight  must  depend  on  the  haunches,  and  the  horse 
must  balance  himself  accordingly  ;  for  instance,  if  the 
rider  is  riding  in  a  ring,  and  riding  to  the  right,  the  animal 
should  by  all  means  lead  with  the  right  leg,  both  front 
and  rear,  and  vice  versa  to  the  left.  When  riding  to  the 
right  the  horse  obtains  his  balance  on  the  right  hind  leg, 
assisted  by  the  left  hind  leg  ;  when  riding  to  the  left,  it  is 
the  left  hind  leg,  assisted  by  the  right  hind  leg.  Now  at 
first,  when  you  learn  to  canter  your  horse,  you  should  do 
it  from  a  trot,  as  it  is  easier  for  the  pupil.  The  aid  for 
cantering  is  to  try  and  raise  the  forehand,  use  a  strong 
pressure  of  both  legs,  the  outward  one  much  the  stronger. 
When  riding  in  the  right  direction,  the  rider  should  raise 
the  right  rein  and  close  the  left  leg,  and  when  riding  to 
the  left,  should  raise  the   left  rein  and  close  the  right  leg. 


28  THE   CANTER. 

You  must  at  all  times  have  your  horse  well  in  hand  and 
fully  collected,  and  try  and  make  your  horse  canter 
nearly  as  slowly  as  he  would  walk.  You  should  bring 
the  horse  well  in  balance  by  a  steady  support  with  the 
reins  and  legs.  The  horse  should  at  all  times  be  so 
placed  that  he  looks  the  way  he  is  going,  and  if  the  rider 
cannot  make  the  horse  canter  on  straight  lines,  he  will  be 
able  to  do  so  on  a  circle,  or  on  turning  a  corner.  When 
you  have  been  riding  for  some  time,  it  will  be  well  for 
you  to  start  your  horse  in  a  canter  from  a  walk,  and  also 
from  a  halt.  You  should  collect  your  horse  with  the 
curb  rein,  and  stimulate  him  with  the  legs  and  whip  if 
required.  It  is  necessary  at  all  times  to  have  the  horse's 
head  brought  in  and  not  have  his  nose  thrust  out,  and 
one  should  at  all  times  be  able  to  feel  and  tell  if  the  horse 
is  leading  right  or  not.  If  a  horse  is  leading  with  the 
right  front  leg  and  the  left  hind  one,  then  the  horse  is 
called  disunited,  and  when  a  horse  goes  that  way,  he 
should  be  brought  down  to  a  walk  at  once,  as  it  not  only 
gives  the  rider  a  very  unsteady  and  insecure  seat,  but  it 
is  also  dangerous.  Sometimes  green  horses  get  disunited, 
also  nervous  ones,  but  more  often  the  blame  should  be 
attached  to  the  rider,  as  it  is  usually  his  fault. 


RING   RIDING. 

Riding  in  a  ring-  is  one  thing,  and  riding  round  a  ring 
is  quite  another.  How  many  riders  when  they  ride  in  a 
school,  make  a  complete  circuit,  the  first  thing  they  think 
of  doing  after  getting  mounted,  is  to  make  as  much  haste 
across  the  ring  as  they  can,  then  dart  into  some  corner, 
then  dart  out  again,  and  sometimes  they  even  charge 
against  some  other  riders,  and  in  their  excitement  forget 
to  apologize,  but  it  could  be  all  avoided  if  the  rider  would 
only  follow  proper  advice. 

After  a  rider  gets  mounted  on  a  strange  horse,  always 
make  it  a  point  to  walk  round  the  ring  a  few  times  before 
you  attempt  any  quicker  pace.  When  riding  at  a  tiot  or 
canter,  always  ride  your  horse  near  the  wall  and  do  not 
cut  off  the  corners,  as  it  is  a  very  bad  habit,  and  it  teaches 
the  horse  a  very  bad  trick.  After  reining  in  your  horse 
from  a  trot  to  a  walk,  ride  your  mount  towards  the  centre 
of  the  ring,  about  ten  feet  away  from  the  side,  and  above 
all,  try  and  avoid  riding  round  on  a  circle,  but  try  and 
ride  on  straight  lines  as  well  as  you  can.  It  is  more  diffi- 
cult in  some  respects  to  ride  round  in  a  ring  than  it  is  on 
the  road,  especially  if  you  are  called  upon  to  ride  circles 
and  to  do  several  changes.  An  even  balance  in  the  sad- 
dle is  the  most  important  of  all,  and  that  is  what  a  pupil 


THE     RIGHT    WAY. 


THE    WRONG     WAY. 


32  RING  RIDING. 

must  study  and  practice  to  become  an  expert  horseman  or 
horsewoman.  When  riding-  on  the  right  hand  and  turn- 
ing a  corner,  be  careful  to  lean  over  towards  the  centre  of 
the  curb  you  are  describing,  and  just  the  reverse  way  on 
the  left  hand.  The  upper  part  of  the  body  should  incline 
to  the  right  on  the  right  hand,  and  on  the  left  hand  a  lady 
should  keep  her  right  shoulder  back  and  sit  square  to  the 
front.  One  should  use  judgment  according  to  the  rate 
of  speed  that  the  horse  is  traveling. 

Remember  that  when  riding  in  a  class  on  the  lead, 
that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  leader  to  be  a  good 
judge  of  pace,  and  to  keep  up  an  even  gait,  without  this 
knowledge,  a  man  or  woman  should  never  be  over  anx- 
ious to  lead  a  class  ;  there  are  also  two  other  requirements 
one  should  know,  that  is  to  have  a  quick  eye  to  take  in 
the  whole  class  at  a  glance  and  to  be  able  to  assist  it  in  a 
measure  and  to  be  able  to  hear  well,  so  that  you  may  be 
able  to  understand  distinctly  the  commands  given  by  the 
instructor.  When  an  order  is  given  to  change  hands, 
you  should  not  turn  your  horse  left  or  right  about,  but 
ride  across  the  centre  of  the  ring,  well  up  to  the  wall,  and 
then  turn  left  or  right,  as  the  case  may  be  ;  when  you 
change  from  the  right  hand  to  the  left  when  riding  in  a 
class,  and  are  riding  at  one  end  of  the  ring  and  wish  to 
change  to  the  other  end,  pass  on  the  right,  and  when  you 
wish  to  change  from  the  left  hand  to  the  right,  pass  on 
the  left ;  the  difference  in  changing  is  this,  that  in  chang- 
ing from  the  right  hand  to  the  left,  you  pass  bridle  hand 


RING   RIDING. 


3$ 


to  l)ridle  hand,  whereas  in  passing  from  the  left  hand  to 
the  right,  you  do  not  do  so. 

The  reason  the  term  right  and  left  hand  is  used,  is 
because  when  on  the  right  hand,  the  right  shoulder  of  the 
horse  is  towards  the  centre  of  the  ring,  and  when  riding 
on  the  left  hand  the  left  shoulder  is  towards  the  centre, 
and  in  the  canter  the  horse  extends  one  shoulder  more 
than  the  other  ;  there  are  other  rules  given,  but  the  above 
one  is  correct. 

A  great  many  riders  in  this  country  ride  on  buckskin 
saddles  and  use  rubber  pads.  I  think  it  a  very  bad  habit 
to  become  accustomed  to.  There  are  some  ladies  who 
like  to  ride  with  the  slipper  stirrup,  but  I  do  not  like  it,  as 
it  teaches  a  pupil  to  ride  from  it.  The  best  stirrup  in  the 
market  is  the  Victoria  Stirrup,  and  it  pleases  every  one. 
The  best  way  for  a  man  to  become  a  good  rider,  is  to 
ride  on  the  horse  bareback,  and  also  to  ride  on  the  saddle 
without  stirrups.  One  must  ride  by  natural  means,  not 
by  artificial  means,  as  it  were,  but  try  to  balance  yourself 
and  to  ride  that  way  for  some  time  without  using  other 
means.  If  you  ride  every  day  for  a  few  months  without 
stirrups,  if  only  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  time,  you  will  soon 
feel  a  great  improvement  in  your  riding.  If  you  should 
be  riding  on  a  horse  that  you  know,  I  think  it  is  a  very 
good  plan  to  speak  to  him  once  in  a  while.  You  can 
often  calm  a  highstrung  horse  down  by  doing  so.  I  do 
not  mean  that  you  should  speak  to  your  horse  when  tak- 
ing a  lesson,  leave  that  for  your  teacher  to  do,   as  the 


34  RlN(i    RIDING. 

horse  understands  his  voice  better,  but  I  mean  when  you 
are  riding  alone  and  are  mounted  on  a  lively  animal 
which  is  inclined  to  prance  and  caper  about  out  of  good 
feeling.  Do  not  become  afraid,  but  use  the  words  "steady 
boy,"  and  you  wnll  find  that  it  will  calm  the  horse  down 
nearly  in  every  case.  If  you  find  that  your  horse  seems 
really  afraid  of  anything,  say  to  him  "steady  boy,"  or 
"easy  boy,"  and  always  speak  loud  enough  so  that  he 
can  hear  you.  Remember  that  if  you  are  afraid  of  the 
horse,  the  horse  is  much  more  afraid  of  you. 

Now  I  am  going  to  speak  to  you  about  the  one  word 
"Whoa."  Never  say  whoa  to  your  horse  without  you 
wish  him  to  stop  ;  the  word  whoa  has  been  greatly 
abused  by  thousands,  and  oftentimes  it  is  a  safeguard 
against  accidents  and  runaways,  so  never  mention  the 
word  without  you  wish  the  horse  to  stop,  and  if  you  own 
a  horse  teach  him  to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  word, 
or  have  him  trained  by  some  one.  The  word  whoa  is 
one  of  the  greatest  words  in  the  horse  language,  and  it 
means  so  much  to  all  who  own  horses,  not  only  to  the 
horse,  but  to  those  who   ride  and   drive  them   at  times. 

There  are  three  ways  to  turn  a  horse,  namely  :  on 
the  centre,  on  the  forehand,  and  on  the  haunches.  When 
a  horse  turns  on  the  centre,  the  four  legs  move  round  on 
his  own  ground,  and  when  done  correctly  you  should 
use  both  reins  and  legs  equally,  without  attempting  to 
back  your  horse.  When  you  wish  to  turn  a  horse  on  the 
forehand,   the   haunches   of  the   horse    must  be  brought 


RIX(]    RIDING.  35 

round  on  a  circle,  without  the  front  legs  letiving-  the 
ground  they  began  at  ;  in  turning  round  to  the  right,  the 
left  front  leg  acts  as  the  pivot,  and  in  turning  to  the  left, 
the  right  front  leg  acts  as  the  pivot.  The  aid  for  turning 
a  horse  right  about  on  the  forehand  is  this,  the  right  rein 
stays  the  forehand,  and  the  pressure  of  the  left  leg  circles 
the  croup  round  step  by  step.  The  right  leg  should  be 
kept  closed,  so  as  to  prevent  the  horse  from  hurrying 
away  from  the  pressure  of  the  left,  and  you  should  retain 
a  feeling  of  the  horse's  mouth  by  raising  the  left  rein.  To 
turn  the  forehand  left  about,  you  stay  the  forehand  with 
the  left  rein,  and  use  the  right  leg  to  circle  the  croup,  the 
hands  and  legs  are  simply  reversed.  To  turn  a  horse  on 
the  haunches,  the  forehand  turns  round,  and  the  hind  legs 
turn  on  their  own  ground.  When  w^heeling  to  the  left,  it's 
the  left  hind  leg  that  serves  as  the  pivot,  and  when  wheel- 
ing to  the  right,  it's  the  right  hind  leg  that  serves  as  the 
pivot.  In  turning  right  about  on  the  haunches,  you  should 
close  the  right  leg  to  stay  the  hindquarters,  and  feel  the 
right  rein  to  circle  the  forehand  round,  and  in  turning  left 
about  you  close  the  left  leg  and  feel  the  left  rein. 

I  will  write  just  a  few  more  words  before  1  close  this 
chapter  on  ring  riding.  Remember  that  when  riding  in  a 
class,  every  rider  should  be  able  to  trot  or  canter  single 
file,  each  one  keeping  his  or  her  horse  well  collected,  and 
also  be  able  to  canter  by  two's  or  four's;  each  rider 
should  be  very  careful  to  keep  the  proper  distance. 


ROAD  RIDING. 

Every  teacher  knows  that  it  is  the  wish  of  every  pupil 
to  get  out  on  the  road  as  quickly  as  possible.  There  are 
several  reasons  why  a  pupil  prefers  to  ride  on  the  road  in 
preference  to  riding  round  a  ring.  First,  it  gives  pupils  a 
feeling  of  gratified  pride  and  pleasure  to  think  that  they 
are  able  to  guide  their  horses  safely  and  with  skill  past  so 
many  vehicles  in  the  park  or  elsewhere,  without  any  mis- 
hap to  themselves  or  to  their  horses.  Secondly,  they 
enjoy  having  their  parents  and  friends  meet  them  out,  so 
that  they  can  display  some  of  their  skill  before  them,  and 
thirdly,  every  pupil  finds  that  it  is  a  great  relief  to  get 
away  from  the  monotony  of  the  ring  for  a  change,  if  for 
no  other  reason.  Riders  are  perfectly  right  in  wishing  to 
ride  on  the  road,  for  it  not  only  improves  the  pupil's  riding, 
but  it  gives  them  confidence  and  also  improves  their 
health.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  very  few  riders  in  this 
country  strictly  follow  the  rules  that  govern  road  riding. 
By  the  way  some  horsemen  ride,  even  good  riders,  1 
doubt  very  much  if  they  know  the  rules.  The  law  in 
America  is  this,  that  when  one  party  meets  another  on  the 
road,  they  shall  pass  on  the  right  side,  but  when  riding 
on  horseback,  one  should  not  only  pass  on  the  right,  but 
also   keep  on  the  right  side  of  the  road.      There  are  very 


ROAD  RIDING.  t^-j 

few  riders  that  do  ride  on  the  side  of  the  road.  I  have 
seen  a  few  hunting  men  do  it  and  some  thorough  horse- 
men and  horsewomen  ride  near  the  side,  but  they  are  few 
and  far  between.  I  have  often  politely  asked  my  pupils 
when  they  went  out  alone  to  ride  on  the  side  ;  some  have 
done  so,  but  a  few  have  exclaimed,  what  difference  does 
it  make  on  which  side  of  the  road  I  ride,  as  long  as  I  ^qX 
there.  It  makes  a  great  deal  sometimes  to  both  horse  and 
rider.  I  will  explain  the  why  and  wherefore.  The  first 
reason  why  one  should  ride  on  the  right  side,  is  because 
it  is  the  rule  and  it  looks  better.  The  second  reason  is 
that  if  you  are  riding  in  the  middle  of  the  road  and  hap- 
pen to  be  mounted  on  a  vicious  brute  of  a  horse,  which 
will  plunge  and  rear  with  you,  or  for  instance  one  that  is 
inclined  to  be  balky  and  not  willing  to  go  one  way  or  the 
other,  and  so  by  riding  in  the  middle  of  the  road  on  such 
an  animal,  you  would  place  yourself  and  your  horse  in 
everybody's  way  who  desired  to  pass,  or  probably  your 
horse  might  plunge  against  some  passing  carriage,  or  the 
carriage  would  strike  your  horse,  especially  if  the  road 
was  a  narrow  one,  and  serious  results  might  occur,  pos- 
sibly a  runaway.  The  third  reason  is  this  :  that  if  you 
are  riding  outside  the  city,  the  ground  on  the  side  of  the 
road  is  so  much  softer  than  in  the  centre,  and  it  is  so 
much  better  for  the  horse.  If  riders  would  follow  my 
advice  when  riding  on  the  road,  there  would  not  be  so 
many  horses  with  splints  and  so  sore  forward  as  their 
are. 


SS  ROAD  RIDING. 

It  is  admitted  by  experts  that  there  is  much  more  strain 
on  a  saddle  horse  than  a  carriage  horse,  and  one  should 
be  always  ready  and  willing  to  relieve  him  and  render 
his  burden  as  easy  as  lay  in  the  rider's  power.  You  have 
already  been  told  on  which  side  of  the  road  you  should 
ride,  now  I  will  give  you  some  more  advice  with  regard 
to  road  riding.  After  the  groom  has  brought  your  horse 
to  the  mounting-block,  or  from  your  own  stable,  as  the 
case  may  be,  before  mounting,  walk  quietly  up  to  him 
and  notice  if  the  bridle  and  saddle  are  put  on  to 
your  liking,  and  if  you  own  the  horse  yourself,  ask  after 
his  appetite,  and  enquire  from  the  man  when  he  needs 
shoeing  again,  and  after  being  satisfied  with  the  reply, 
cast  a  look  at  the  horse's  appearance,  and  if  you  find  that 
every  thing  is  in  order,  speak  a  word  of  praise  to  your 
man  before  riding  away.  After  leaving  the  stable  be 
careful  to  walk  your  horse  for  a  short  distance  before 
going  at  any  greater  speed.  Notice  at  a  glance  how  he 
conducts  himself  on  the  road.  If  you  should  be  mounted 
on  a  horse  that  you  have  never  ridden  before,  be  always 
careful  to  be  on  the  alert  for  any  object  that  you  think 
would  in  any  way  be  at  all  likely  to  disturb  or  frighten 
him,  and  be  careful  to  look  well  in  front  of  you  and  keep 
your  hands  down.  The  next  thing  to  do  is  to  find  out 
how  you  had  better  ride  your  horse.  The  proper  way  to 
ride  a  horse  on  the  road  is  to  have  a  steady  and  easy 
hand,  and  not  to  worry  the  horse's  mouth  ;  another  very 
important  thing   for  the   rider  to  remember,  is  to  always 


ROAD  RIDINC).  39 

have  his  attention  and  mind  on  his  horse  and  his  sur- 
roundings. The  trained  horse  should  be  ridden  with  both 
reins  equally,  and  the  untrained  horse  only  with  the 
snaffle  ;  it  is  not  often  the  bits  that  worry  the  horse,  but 
the  riders  hand.  When  wishing  to  stop  a  horse,  do  so 
gradually,  but  never  suddenly,  for  you  might  strain  your 
horse  by  doing  so. 

As  I  have  explained  to  you  before,  some  horses 
require  to  be  handled  differently  to  what  others  do,  and 
one  should  always  remember  that  fact.  I  hope  that  my 
readers  will  not  think  me  too  exacting  or  too  pointed  in 
my  remarks,  for  I  am  not  at  all  ;  but  during  the  many 
years  that  I  have  had  to  do  with  horses  and  horsemen,  I 
have  secretly  stored  all  the  knowledge  I  could  obtain,  and 
always  looked  for  points  as  regards  riding  and  horses. 
When  a  boy,  I  had  the  good  luck  to  be  acquainted  with 
some  few  of  the  best  horsemen  in  the  old  world,  and  have 
hunted  with  them  for  several  seasons.  I  used  to  meet 
boys  about  the  same  age  as  myself,  young  men  and  old 
men  as  well,  and  many  a  good  word  of  advice  has  been 
given  to  me  by  men  who  had  three  score  years  or  more 
over  their  heads  and  their  hair  as  white  as  snow.  I  can 
safely  say  that  I  never  once  forgot  the  kindness  extended 
to  me  by  any  of  my  friends  in  those  days.  What  happy 
days  they  were  to  me,  and  the  only  thing  to  mar  the 
sport  was  that  I  received  so  many  spills  ;  that  is,  had 
horses  fall  into  ditches,  striking  their  head  on  the  oppo- 
site bank,  and  sending;-   me  to,  I  cannot  remember  where 


40  ROAD  RIDING. 

to  say  nothing  about  getting  run  away  with  ;  my  horses, 
upon  those  occasions,  always  got  away,  for  I  never  had 
strength  enough  to  hold  them  in.  Many  a  day's  sport  I 
have  had  at  the  expense  of  a  fractured  limb,  but  I  would 
give  a  great  deal  to  go  through  it  all  again.  Do  not  mis- 
take me  and  think  for  a  moment  that  I  enjoy  being  run 
away  with,  for  I  do  not,  and  that  is  the  only  time  that  I 
feel  defeated  and  in  anything  but  a  happy  mood.  The 
excitement  of  the  chase,  the  company  you  meet,  and  the 
house  you  belong  to,  seem  to  inspire  a  greater  courage 
to  dare  to  do  what  one  has  never  done  before.  Speaking 
about  runaways,  that  reminds  me  that  I  have  been  often 
asked  by  many  what  should  a  man  do  if  a  horse  should 
run  away  with  him.  It  is  amusing  to  hear  the  remarks 
of  some  people  as  to  what  they  should  do.  One  man 
says  run  the  horse  into  a  fence.  Now  I  will  give  you  my 
advice.  If  a  horse  ran  away  with  me,  I  should  pray  that 
he  might  take  me  to  a  better  place  than  the  one  I  had 
left.  Now  dear  readers  it  is  a  very  hard  matter  to  say 
what  any  one  would  do  in  such  a  case,  but  it  is  easier  to 
say  what  should  be  done.  My  advice  is  that  if  a  horse 
should  run  away  in  the  city,  use  all  your  strength  to  stop 
him  before  he  runs  very  far,  by  taking  hold  of  the  snaffle 
reins  in  each  hand,  sawing  hard  at  his  mouth  left  and 
right,  at  the  same  time  try  and  turn  his  head  gradually  to 
the  left  and  then  round  to  the  right,  the  object  in  turning 
the  horse's  head  is  to  try  and  get  him  off  his  stride,  and 
every  little   while  call   out    "whoa   l)oy."     If  your  horse 


ROAD  RIDING.  41 

should  run  away  with  you  in  a  field,  try  and  ride  him  on 
a  circle,  if  in  your  power  to  do  so,  it  will  have  a  great 
effect  on  the  horse,  and  if  you  keep  riding  round,  gradually 
making  the  circle  smaller,  he  will  either  stop  or  fall  down. 
If  out  in  the  country  the  horse  starts  to  run  away,  and 
the  road  is  good,  let  him  run,  providing  you  are  not 
afraid  ;  and  if,  when  approaching  a  hill,  the  horse  decides 
to  stop  at  the  foot  of  it,  you  must  quickly  change  his 
plans  by  laying  on  the  whip  as  hard  as  you  can,  and 
make  him  run  faster  than  before,  and  when  at  the  top  you 
can  stop  him,  and  I  venture  to  say  that  he  will  never  run 
away  again  ;  but  after  whipping  him,  do  not  pat  him  on 
any  account,  but  speak  sternly  to  him,  then  turn  round 
and  walk  nearly  all  the  way  home.  If  you  have  time  to 
ride  on  him  the  next  day,  do  so,  and  take  him  over  the 
same  ground  that  you  rode  the  day  before,  it  is  not  at  all 
likely  that  he  will   attempt  to   run   away   again. 

When  riding  at  a  long  distance  from  home,  and  if 
your  horse  should  be  so  unfortunate  as  to  cast  a  shoe, 
enquire  for  the  nearest  blacksmith  and  ride  your  horse 
slowly  to  the  place  then  have  the  shoe  nailed  on.  If  you 
are  riding  on  a  school  horse,  the  proprietor  of  the  school 
will  be  only  too  glad  to  refund  you  the  price  of  the  shoe 
on  your  return.  Never  abuse  your  horse  without  just 
cause.  Always  remember  that  the  longer  you  ride,  the 
more  you  will  have  to  learn.  I  think  the  horse  is  man's 
greatest  teacher.  If  you  should  ride  much  you  will  find 
out  that  every  horse  is  somewhat  different  to  handle  and 


42  ROAD  RIDING. 

manage.  When  riding  down  hill  always  walk  your  horse. 
If  you  should  stop  at  any  road  house,  even  for  a  few 
minutes,  have  the  man  lead  the  horse  about,  and  tell  him 
to  keep  him  moving  until  you  call  for  him  ;  but  if  you 
intend  staying  for  some  time,  and  having  a  long  journey 
to  go,  give  orders  to  have  the  horse  put  in  the  stable  and 
blanketed,  and  when  you  are  ready  to  leave,  walk  down 
to  the  stable  and  ask  the  man  to  give  your  horse  a  pail  of 
water,  that  is  providing  the  horse  is  quiie  cool  and  that 
his  blood  is  not  overheated  before  riding  away  ;  do  not 
forget  to  reimburse  the  groom  for  his  trouble,  as  it  will 
always  pay  you  to  do  so. 

I  wish  to  mention  something  more  about  road  riding. 
Whenever  you  see  that  your  horse  is  afraid  of  any  object, 
try  to  divert  his  attention  by  playing  with  the  bit  in  the 
horse's  mouth,  which  in  most  cases  will  be  successful. 
When  riding  on  the  road  in  a  class,  the  riders  should  keep 
together  and  ride  at  a  steady  gait  on  the  side  of  the  road. 
The  slow  horse  should  set  the  pace  for  the  rest.  It  is 
necessary  to  mention  here  a  word  or  two  with  regard  to 
politeness  on  the  road.  It  is  just  as  easy  to  be  polite  on 
the  road  on  horseback,  as  it  is  in  the  drawing-room.  A 
gentleman  when  riding  with  a  lady,  will  always  raise  his 
hat  when  meeting  any  one  he  knows,  and  expects  the 
same  in  return,  but  a  great  many  men  I  have  met  in  the 
park,  instead  of  raising  their  hat  as  they  should  do,  simply 
lift  their  whip  up  to  their  hat,  like  a  groom  tipping  his  cap 
to  his  mistress. 


HANDS  AND  SEAT. 

There  are  many  people  who  never  obtain  a  good 
seat  on  horseback  ;  the  same  may  be  said  with  regard  to 
hands.  I  have  been  acquainted  with  some  men  and 
women  who  have  ridden  for  years,  and  men  who  claim 
to  be  thorough  horsemen,  and  in  their  own  estimation, 
know  all  about  riding,  but  have  neither  any  seat  nor  good 
hands.  Now  what  is  the  reason  that  so  many  people 
have  such  poor  hands  and  seat?  Is  it  because  they  are 
not  taught  correctly  ?  No,  that  is  not  the  reason,  but  it 
is  because  the  rider  is  forgetful  and  careless,  and  very 
often  nervousness  is  the  trouble.  There  are  some  people 
who,  if  you  asked  them  to  ride  a  quiet-going,  easy  horse, 
could  do  so  with  credit,  but  if  you  asked  one  of  them  to 
ride  a  horse  with  a  better  mouth  and  better  trained,  and 
required  light  hands,  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  would  result 
in  failure. 

I  have  found  a  great  many  men  who  think  it  a  grand 
thing  to  bully  their  horse  when  riding  him  ;  they  fancy 
that  they  are  as  strong  as  the  horse,  because  they  are 
able  to  sit  on  his  back  better  than  some  others.  Every- 
thing that  they  require  the  horse  to  do  is  demanded  by 
brute  force,  and  the  poor  beast  is  often  made  to  attempt 
to   do  things   which   he  finds   he  is  unable  to  do.      Such 


44  HANDS  AND  SKAT. 

men  have  not  the  patience  or  common  sense  to  under- 
stand that  the  horse  requires  to  be  shown  and  instructed, 
and  must  be  given  time  to  learn. 

Riders  who  have  the  best  seats  are  they,  whether 
men  or  women,  whose  tempers  are  good  and  who  are  in 
constant  communication  with  their  horses.  A  good  rider 
always  has  a  feeling  of  his  horse's  mouth,  but  never 
holds  on  by  it ;  he  can  tell  in  an  instant  by  the  feel  of  the 
horse's  mouth  if  he  contemplates  anything  out  of  the  way, 
and  can  nearly  always  forestall  him  in  time.  If  the  horse 
should  get  startled  and  jump  to  one  side,  he  goes  with 
him  and  does  not  pull  his  mouth  about  ;  in  fact,  it  would 
appear  that  horse  and  man  were  one  machine,  possessed 
of  one  mind  between  them.  If  people  who  keep  horses 
once  are  made  to  understand  what  riding  means,  and  to 
know  how  agreeable  is  the  feeling  of  a  horse  going  pleas- 
antly up  to  the  bit  without  pulling,  at  the  same  time  feel- 
ing, as  it  were,  every  motion  of  the  horse,  they  would 
never  be  satisfied  with  one  that  was  not  thoroughly 
broken,  and  they  would  always  try  to  keep  him  a  perfect 
saddle  horse. 

The  first  thing  then  a  rider  must  try  to  get  is  a  good 
seat,  and  it  must  be  in  the  proper  place,  that  is,  in  the 
middle  of  the  saddle,  which  is  the  only  coirect  seat  to 
have.  The  man  that  sits  back  on  his  saddle  on  the  can- 
tie,  and  has  his  legs  bent  forward  has  a  chair  seat,  and 
the  man  who  leans  his  body  forward  and  sticks  his  legs 
out  has  a  fork  seat,  and  any  man  that  rides  the  latter  way 


HANDS  AND  SEAT.  45 

is  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  horse.  As  I  said  before, 
the  only  seat  is  in  the  middle  of  the  saddle,  the  lower  part 
of  the  leg  about  covering  the  girths,  and  the  toe  in  line 
with  the  knee,  the  hips  upward  movable,  in  order  to 
enable  the  rider  to  balance  himself,  and  from  the  knee 
downward  movable,  so  as  to  close  the  legs,  and  be  able 
to  use  the  spur  when  required  to  control  the  horse's  hind 
legs.  The  rider  must  hold  on  by  his  thighs  and  knees, 
and  must  never  depend  on  his  reins  or  his  heels,  to  hold 
him  on. 


LEAPING. 

When  training  a  horse  to  jump,  the  trainer  should  be 
very  careful  not  to  frighten  the  horse  at  the  commence- 
ment, as  every  horse  is  a  willing  and  natural  jumper, 
and  those  horses  that  refuse  are  spoiled  by  bad  training. 
For  this  reason  one  must  be  careful  not  to  take  the  horse's 
own  confidence,  but  teach  the  horse  gradually,  that 
means  every  young  horse  should  be  taught  to  jump  at 
first  without  a  rider.  When  he  is  so  far  advanced  that  he 
takes  the  obstacles  with  pleasure,  the  trainer  mounts  him 
and  commences  to  jump  low  hurdles  and  small  ditches, 
and  be  very  careful  not  to  disturb  his  mouth.  At  the 
beginning  the  young  horse  should  be  ridden  with  a  plain 
snaffle,  as  all  refusing  more  or  less,  is  caused  by  fear  that 
the  bits  will  hurt  his  mouth,  but  I  wish  to  make  the 
remark  that  if  a  man  thinks  his  horse  fit  for  jumping,  he 
has  to  be  firm  and  decided,  and  force  him  over  the  jump. 


TRAINING. 

In  the  preceding  chapters  I  have  endeavored  to 
explain  to  you  how  to  ride  in  the  ring,  and  how  to  ride 
on  the  road,  and  before  finishing  my  book  I  wish  to 
make  a   few  remarks  about  training.      It  is  necessary  for 


TRAINING.  47 

a  man  to  be  a  successful  trainer,  to  have  a  love  for  a 
horse,  and  to  be  able  to  keep  his  temper  and  to  have 
plenty  of  courage.  The  trainer  should  never  forget  that 
he  has  to  deal  with  an  animal  which  cannot  be  broken 
by  brutal  force,  but  can  be  with  patience,  care  and  love. 
The  great  difficulty  for  an  employed  riding  teacher  in 
any  of  the  schools  in  this  country,  that  means  if  he  is  a 
man  that  understands  his  business,  and  one  who  has  the 
ambition  and  will  to  instruct  his  pupils  in  the  proper  way, 
is  that  he  does  not  find  the  material,  simply  because  the 
horses  are  not  thoroughly  broken  in  the  campaign  school 
at  first.  It  is  a  great  mistake  of  many  men  who  own 
horses  to  think  that  they  can  have  them  broken  to  the 
saddle  in  a  month  or  two,  as  it  is  impossible  to  train  a 
horse  as  one  should  be  trained  in  a  shorter  time  than 
three  or  four  months  without  injury  to  the  horse,  because 
if  any  one  should  attempt  to  train  a  horse  in  a  shorter 
time,  it  would  not  only  injure  the  horse,  but  no  good 
results  would  be  obtained  from  it.  If  you  want  to  train  a 
horse  in  the  proper  way,  you  should  take  into  consider- 
ation his  age  and  his  build,  and  never  require  more  in 
one  lesson  than  the  horse  can  do  with  ease  and  without 
fatiguing  him  and  thereby  provoking  his  resistance.  The 
training  always  commences  by  bringing  the  horse  well  in 
balance,  for  this  reason  the  horse,  for  the  first  few  les- 
sons has  to  be  ridden  only  at  a  walk  and  natural  trot. 
After  this,  if  the  horse  commences  to  gain  confidence  in 
his   rider,  you   commence  to   make  the  turning  first  at  a 


48  TRAINING. 

walk  and  then  on  the  spot,  at  the  same  time  the  horse  has 
to  be  made  flexible  in  the  jaw  and  in  the  neck,  before  and 
after  each  lesson. 

Now  we  go  over  to  balancing  the  horse,  that  means 
the  horse  has  to  be  ridden  for  a  certain  time  in  a  short, 
steady  and  even  trot,  the  result  will  be  that  you  will  get 
the  horse  accustomed  to  go  up  to  the  hand  and  leg,  for 
this  reason  you  have  to  ride  your  horse  well  into  the  cor- 
ners of  the  ring,  also  when  trotting  ride  the  turnings, 
changes  and  circles.  When  the  horse  does  all  of  the 
above  instructions  correctly,  it  will  be  well  to  commence 
with  the  passages,  which  should  always  be  done  at  first 
from  the  ground.  (What  is  called  passages  ?)  It  means 
that  the  horse  goes  on  a  double  track.  What  are  the  pas- 
sages ?  There  is  the  full  passage  and  the  half  passage, 
after  this  comes  the  shoulder  in.  You  should  always 
begin  to  train  your  horse  first  with  haunches  in.  When 
the  horse  is  properly  placed  in  shoulder  in,  his  body  from 
head  to  tail  should  be  curved.  The  head  and  shoulders 
leading.  The  inward  legs  crossing  the  outward  on  two 
parallel  lines,  the  hind  feet  one  yard  from  the  side.  Sup- 
pose that  you  wish  to  make  the  horse  go  right  shoulder 
in,  you  first  place  the  horse  by  feeling  the  right  rein  and 
closing  the  left  leg,  but  the  rider  must  be  careful  not  to 
bring  the  forehand  in  too  much.  When  he  is  in  the  proper 
position  the  right  leg  should  be  closed  and  the  shoulders 
led  off  by  the  left  rein,  the  bend  being  kept  to  the  right,  so 
that  the  horse  will  be  gaining  ground  to  his  left,  moving 


TRAINING. 


49 


sideways,  though  still  bent  and  looking  to  his  right.  The 
left  rein  leads  the  horse  and  the  right  bends  him  ;  by  a 
pressure  of  the  right  leg  makes  him  cross  his  legs,  and 
the  left  leg  prevents  him  from  running  back,  or  hurrying 
away  from  the  pressure  of  the  right  leg.  The  horse  must 
not  be  allowed  to  hurry,  and  when  wishing  to  stop,  the 
left  leg  should  be  closed. 

The  difference  between  shoulder  in  and  passage,  is 
this  :  In  the  shoulder  in  the  horse  looks  and  bends  the 
opposite  way  that  he  is  going,  whereas  in  the  passage  he 
bends  and  looks  and  goes  the  same  way,  and  the  horse 
turns  on  his  forehand  in  shoulder  in,  while  in  the  pass- 
age he  turns  on  his  haunches. 

All  the  above  instructions  are  given  to  bring  the 
horse  well  in  balance,  to  supple  his  neck,  ribs  and  shoul- 
ders, and  to  teach  him  to  obey  the  pressure  of  the  legs. 
Now  we  come  to  the  gallop.  It  is  very  important  that 
the  trainer  in  the  first  few  lessons  in  the  gallop  does  not 
irritate  his  horse,  for  this  reason  a  young  horse  should 
always  be  instructed  to  start  from  the  trot  into  the  gallop, 
and  always  when  he  is  in  a  natural  position  ;  that  means 
when  he  passes  the  corner,  or  if  the  trainer  brings  him 
first  in  a  circle.  When  the  horse  is  so  far  advanced  that 
he  starts  easy  into  a  gallop,  he  should  be  started  from 
haunches  in  from  a  walk. 


ADVICE    TO    LADIES    AND    GENTLEMEN  WHO 
INTEND  BUYING  A  SADDLE  HORSE. 

In  the  first  place  those  intending  to  buy  a  horse  have 
to  make  up  their  minds  what  kind  of  a  horse  they  want 
to  buy,  so  that  they  are  perfectly  satisfied  after  the  pur- 
chase is  made.  When  buying  a  saddle  horse  you  have 
to  be  convinced  either  by  yourself  or  by  some  good  vet- 
erinary surgeon  that  the  horse  is  sound.  What  is  a 
sound  horse  ?  A  horse  is  called  sound  when  his  four  legs 
are  clean,  eyes  perfect,  wind  good,  and  his  bowels  are  in 
order.  I  will  here  describe  a  good  saddle  horse  and  tell 
you  what  is  required  to  be  a  good  one.  To  begin  with, 
the  horse's  head  should  be  lean  and  well  cut  out,  he 
should  have  a  broad  and  intelligent  eye,  a  broad  fore- 
head and  large  nostrils.  The  ear  should  be  small  and 
pointed.  A  horse  should  have  a  long  neck,  well  arched 
and  well  cut  out  in  the  jaw,'  he  should  have  high  withers, 
deep  and  sloping  shoulders  and  broad  chest.  The  front 
legs  should  be  straight,  the  upper  arm  to  the  knee  long 
and  very  muscular.  The  knee  should  be  broad  and  flat, 
the  cannon  bone  or  shank  should  be  short,  strong,  and 
flat.  The  pastern  should  not  be  long  or  short,  standing 
oblique.    The  hoof  should  be  deep  and  sound,  that  means 


ADVICE  TO  LADIES  AND  GENTLEMEN.    51 

that  the  horn  should  be  strong  and  clean,  without  any 
cracks,  the  one  of  the  main  points  of  a  sound  hoof, 
should  be  large  and  wide,  touching  the  ground.  A  sad- 
dle horse  should  have  a  short  back  and  be  well  ribbed  up 
near  the  hips  and  strong  across  the  kidneys.  The 
haunches  should  be  long,  never  cut  off  and  very  straight, 
the  tail  be  set  on  high-standing  straight  out.  The  hocks 
should  be  large  and  bony  and  very  strong,  not  close 
together  nor  far  apart,  but  straight.  In  regard  to  fetlock 
and  hoof  they  should  be  the  same  as  front  feet. 

Question.  What  is  the  proper  age  to  buy  a  saddle 
horse  ? 

Answer  A  saddle  horse  should  never  be  younger 
than  five  and  never  older  than  nine. 

If  you  buy  a  young  saddle  horse  be  convinced  that 
his  gait  is  clean  and  not  too  long.  With  regard  to  a 
broken  horse,  be  satisfied  that  he  has  not  been  spoiled, 
that  he  has  no  tricks  or  vices  and  that  his  gait  is  true  and 
even. 


SUGGESTIONS. 


HOW     TO     START     AND     HOW    TO     RUN     A     PUBLIC    RIDING    SCHOOL. 

If  a  man  intends  to  start  a  public  riding  school,  he 
must  be  decided  where  to  locate  it.  A  man  with  but  lit- 
tle capital  will  always  do  better  to  start  in  a  small,  but 
thriving  and  growing  town.  In  a  city  like  New  York  or 
like  cities,  only  a  man  with  large  capital  can  expect 
success. 

Before  you  have  made  your  mind  up  to  build  a 
school,  you  must  be  sure  of  a  very  good  and  convenient 
location.  The  main  building  in  the  stable  should  have 
all  modern  improvements  and  be  well  ventilated,  and 
should  therefore  be  made  as  comfortable  as  possible  for 
the  public.  Before  you  open  your  school  you  must  have 
a  well  selected  and  properly  trained  stock  of  horses  and 
also  the  proper  equipments,  which  under  all  circum- 
stances should  be  kept  neat  and  clean  and  in  good  order. 
If  you  should  require  the  assistance  of  other  riding  mas- 
ters, you  should  be  very  careful  to  select  the  proper  men, 
but  not  adventurers  in  which  all  large  cities  abound. 

Before  you  advertise  in  the  daily  papers  the  opening 
of  your  establishment,  you  must  be  sure  that  everything 
is  in  perfect  order  and  in  readiness,  and  at  the  same  time 


SUGGESTIONS.  53 

when  advertising  your  school,  you  should  mention  the 
rules  which  will  be  observed  and  carried  out  to  the  letter. 
To  run  such  a  place  in  the  proper  way  it  is  important 
that  from  the  start  the  proper  system  is  kept.  The  riding 
masters  should  be  treated  like  friends  of  their  employer, 
not  like  hirelings.  No  bad  feeling  among  themselves 
should  exist  or  be  tolerated,  and  such  men  as  cannot 
agree  should  be  discharged.  The  teachers  should  always 
work  together  hand  in  hand  for  their  employer's  interest. 
The  foreman  of  a  large  riding  school  should  be  his  em- 
ployer's right  hand  man  in  many  cases,  and  therefore  not 
alone  a  thorough  horseman,  but  a  man  of  great  experi- 
ence, and  should  be  able  to  control  stable  help  and  put 
such  a  spirit  in  his  men  that  they  do  their  work  with 
pleasure  and  with  readiness. 

It  is  very  important  that  the  horses  are  divided 
equally  among  the  riders,  but  under  no  consideration 
should  the  favorite  horses  be  allowed  to  be  overworked 
and  ruined  before  their  time.  For  this  reason  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  riding  school  should  never  keep  such  horses 
as  are  useless  to  him  and  are  not  fit  for  work  and  stand 
idle  in  the  stable,  but  should  dispose  of  them  at  once. 

As  regards  road-riding,  it  is  very  necessary  to  try  and 
arrange  to  get  together  parties  to  ride  out  under  the 
leadership  of  one  of  the  masters,  who  is  made  strictly 
responsible  for  the  horses.  When  this  cannot  be  done, 
horses  let  out  without  a  riding  master  should  only  be  let 
out  to  well   known   patrons    and  pupils  of  the  establish- 


54  SUGGESTIONS. 

ment,  and  even  those  should  be  warned  not  to  abuse  the 
horses,  as  in  such  a  case  it  would  be  the  proper  thing  to 
inform  them  that  they  cannot  be  supplied  any  more  from 
the  school. 

According  to  the  proper  riding  instruction,  it  will  be 
always  a  great  benefit  to  arrange  as  much  as  possible 
private  classes,  as  it  is  natural  that  the  progress  in  riding 
will  be  very  beneficial  to  the  pupil. 


WHAT    HORSEBACK    RIDING    HAS    DONE  FOR 

MANY,  AND    WHAT    IT    WILL    DO 

FOR  YOU. 

A  GREAT  many  people  have  often  asked  me  why  it  is 
that  so  many  people  ride.  The  answer  briefly  told,  is 
this  :  There  are  several  reasons  why  people  ride,  one  is 
because  they  really  enjoy  it,  and  after  a  fair  trial  find  that 
it  is  about  the  best  pleasure  in  life  ;  another  reason  is  that 
it  is  the  most  healthgiving  exercise  that  there  is,  which  is 
a  very  good  reason.  Another  reason  is  because  it  is 
fashionable,  but  that  seems  to  me  a  very  poor  reason  to 
give,  although  many  people  cling  to  fashion  like  a 
drowning  man  does  to  a  rope. 

Question.  Why  should  nearly  every  one  ride  on 
horseback  ? 

It  is  because  it  is  a  duty  to  yourself  and  family. 
There  are  thousands  of  men  to-day  in  New  York  who 
would  be  the  better  for  horseback  riding,  men  who  are 
compelled  to  be  in  an  office  all  day  long  and  those  who 
have  more  or  less  brain  work  to  do,  and  then  we  have 
another  class  of  men  who  are  always  ill  at  ease,  ill  in 
mind  and  ill  in  body,  and  such  men  remind  me  of  a 
badger  in  a  hole,  that  requires  drawing  out.  The  truth 
of  the  matter  is  that  they  need  a  tonic,  and  that  is  horse- 


56    WHAT  HORSE-BACK  RIDING  HAS  DONE. 

back  riding.  Medicine  has  been  tried  and  has  failed. 
Forty-five  doctors  out  of  every  fifty  recommend  horseback 
riding,  and  the  other  five  are  opposed  to  it,  simply  be- 
cause they  have  not  made  a  thorough  study  of  the  subject 
and  their  grounds  for  objection  are  based  on  their  inex- 
perience. I  have,  however,  to  acknowledge  that  the 
doctors  are  perfectly  right  in  certain  cases,  to  forbid  their 
patients  to  ride. 

Ladies  should  ride  a  great  deal  more  than  they  do, 
as  they  do  not  get  enough  exercise  as  a  general  thing. 
What  has  riding  done  for  a  great  many.?  It  has  made 
old  men  feel  younger  and  made  young  men  feel  better. 
Remember  the  old  saying,  that  "health  is  wealth." 
What  will  riding  do  for  you  ?  It  will  cure  so  many  ills 
that  I  could  not  begin  to  write  them  all  down,  and  it  is 
the  most  healthgiving  exercise  that  there  is.  A  riding 
master  who  understands  his  profession  thoroughly,  when 
coming  in  contact  with  so  many  different  people,  will 
know  at  a  glance  what  should  be  done  with  a  timid  per- 
son, in  fact,  a  teacher  has  to  study  his  pupils  like  a  doctor 
does  his  patients.  Some  pupils  can  stand  a  great  amount 
of  exercise,  while  others  can  stand  but  very  little,  so  it  is 
the  instructor's  duty  to  remember  that  fact,  and  he  should 
always  try  and  make  the  lesson  as  pleasant  and  instruct- 
ive to  the  pupil  as  lies  in  his  power.  The  wealthy  ride 
because  it  is  a  pleasure  for  them  to  do  so,  the  middle 
class  follow  suit  for  the  same  reason,  and  some  ride  for 
health.  The  poor  man  rides  whenever  he  has  a  dollar  to 
spare. 


WHAT  HORSE-BACK  Rn)ING  HAS  DONE.    57 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  think  that  the  expense  is  so 
much,  for  the  prices  for  riding  lessons  are  within  the 
reach  of  nearly  all  who  wish  to  indulge.  Many  people 
exclaim  that  they  could  never  afford  to  ride,  but  they  do 
not  take  time  to  think  how  much  money  they  have  to  pay 
for  medicine  in  a  year,  more  than  half  of  which  could  be 
saved  and  be  put  to  a  better  purpose  Then  again,  a 
great  many  declare  it  to  be  a  dangerous  sport  ;  it  is  no 
more  dangerous  than  walking  on  the  street  when  one  is 
on  a  quiet  horse.  Now  my  friends  do  you  think  it  bene- 
fits me  in  talking  to  you  this  way  .?  Not  at  all,  but  as  I 
know  what  benefit  horseback  riding  has  done  myself  and 
thousands  of  others,  I  feel  that  I  am  working  for  a  good 
cause  in  asking  you  to  learn  to  ride.  There  are  a  number 
of  good  schools  in  New  York  and  in  nearly  every  large 
city.  If  you  cannot  go  to  one,  go  to  the  other.  My 
advice  is  to  go  and  learn  to  ride  on  horseback,  if  it  neces- 
sitates your  having  to  go  twenty  miles. 


SOME  USEFUL  TIPS. 


Never  wash  a  horse  with  cold  water  when  he  is 
heated. 

Water  before  feeding,  but  not  while  the  horse  is  hot 
from  work. 

Feed  your  horse  regularly  three  times  daily,  but 
never  over  feed. 

Use  the  whip  very  little,  and  never  when  the  animal 
shies  or  stumbles. 

Give  the  horse  a  large  stall  and  good  bed  at  night. 
It  is  important  that  he  lies  down  to  rest. 

If  you  own  a  horse  that  rears  or  stumbles,  dispose  of 
him  as  soon  as  you  cai>. 

A  cotton  card  is  a  good  thing  to  groom  a  horse  with. 
It  cleans  better  than  the  comb. 

Near  the  close  of  a  journey  let  the  horse  walk.  If 
he  is  covered  with  sweat,  use  a  scraper,  and  then  rub  off 
with  a  rag  to  prevent  too  sudden  cooling. 


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